Film Session Shines Light on Biggest Reason Razorback Football Has Fallen

Evidence of change in philosophy, culture across the board, especially at wide receiver, sets Arkansas up for all those close losses

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Jan 4, 2024 7:27 AM EST
Original:
Jan 4, 2024

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – This was originally supposed to be a piece evaluating whether Dominique Johnson could resurrect his career as a star running back in the Bobby Petrino system.

For the record, his 2021 tape has limited film relative to the pass catching and route running skills needed out of the backfield to dominate in Petrino's system, but what is there is quite promising. He shows soft hands, an ability to catch and quickly tuck perfectly in stride at full speed and a knack for adjusting the route to maintain separation.

What wasn't limited was plenty of footage of him pass blocking. Johnson may as well have been the Great Wall of China because there was nowhere a blitzer could go that he didn't pick them up and give quarterback KJ Jefferson extra precious seconds to make a decision. And as the highlights rolled by, a clear cultural difference that made 2021 a success where 2023 failed became painfully obvious.

It wasn't just Johnson who was delivering heavy blocks and seeming to relish doing it. So were the receivers. It was a calling card of that team that was taken for granted and has since been forgotten.

Some Razorback fans may have forgotten, but after that season, while they were dead set on the following year having 10 or 11 wins, I wrote a story about how Arkansas won so many close games. A ball bounced the right way. A kick blew in the Hogs' favor. There were so many little things that allowed Pittman's team to win those close games and I warned that Pittman could possibly do a better job of coaching and still win fewer games because of the schedule and sheer lack of luck.

Since then, losing close games has become a calling card for the Razorbacks. However, I was wrong about the luck. Yes, it played a part in it, but in hindsight, it's clear that wasn't the difference. It's the cultural change.

The 2021 team was the quintessential Sam Pittman team. They were scrappy lunchpail type guys who used their heart to overcompensate for their talent. Most of all, to a man, they loved to block on the offensive side of the ball.

Running backs pounded into linebackers and edge rushers. Wide receivers laid into defenders when the ball was run. Even in the passing game, once a receiver caught the ball, his fellow receivers immediately became headhunters.

A lot of fans are probably thinking back and saying "Oh, yeah. That was Treylon Burks, a linebacker who happened to play receiver. Of course he was able to block defensive backs."

Yes, Burks was a great blocker. His willingness to block added a ton of yards to the total offense that year. However, it was all of the receivers. At one point, after No. 10 kept executing key blocks to free up Johnson for long gains, things had to be paused to go see who wore that jersey in 2021. It was 5-foot-10 Devion Warren.

These guys weren't just running along hoping to get their bodies in the way as a glorified screen. They were engaging and driving defenders back. A lot of times they were putting guys on their backs.

They were intentional. They were aggressive. They were violent.

That's how the Razorbacks got those few extra yards here and there. That's how the Hogs built a mental edge that mattered late in the game. It's how close games fell their way.

So, the next logical thing to do was to turn on games from this past season to see how different things looked. It was jarring. The stark contrast in culture and effort immediately lept off the screen.

No one across the board played with a fierceness anywhere close to what that 2021 team put on the field. As for the receivers, it was painfully obvious blocking was no longer a point of pride.

I watched to see if it was scheme or if they just couldn't or wouldn't block and the answer was a simple yes. To all of it. And it did a lot to hurt Raheim Sanders' game.

When the play design was for the receivers to run defenders off the line to give Sanders space on the outside, the play was too easily read and the receivers too little of a threat. As he tried to make the corner, Sanders found himself in a 3-on-1 situation that didn't work out in his favor as he lost yards.

When the receivers were to block, it looked unnatural and they appeared scared. Instead of a vicious attack to the chest followed by driving violence, defenders were barely touched and it was the lightest of touches. No one appeared to want any part of blocking and Sanders and Jefferson paid the price.

There were no yards, much less extra yards. Defenses looked at Arkansas like they were the prey instead of the other way around like things were in 2021. There was no edge, and as a result, there were no close wins.

Take a couple of minutes and watch this highlight package of Johnson from 2021 and pay attention to the demeanor of the entire team. No need to watch entire games because just this little bit is enough to see how vastly things have changed. Guys once liked to get their hands dirty and it mattered. Pittman's going to have to bring that mentality back if this team is going to overachieve once again next year.